Tray-supporter.



No. 796,357. PATENTED AUG. 1, 1905.

r E. E. ROBERTSON.

TRAY SUPPORTER. APPLIUATION FILED APR 18.1904. RENEWED APB. 29,1905.

ll IUIHH IIIIIIIIIQ avwe-wtoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELISA E. ROBERTSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRAY-SUPPORTER- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1905.

Original application filed AugustQQ, 1903, Serial No. 171,266. Dividedand this application filed April 18, 190 i. Renewed April 29,

1 1905. Serial No. 258,025.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELISA E. ROBERTSON, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at 233 West Twenty-third street, New York city, inthe county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Tray-Supporters, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in devicesfor supporting trays and the like, and has more particular reference tothat type of such devices which are used in connection with suitableattachments carried by a bed, whereby an invalid or other occupant ofthe bed can have supported in front of him in a convenient positionperiodicals, food, or other desirable matter, as shown and described inmy application, Serial N 0. 171,266, on which Patent No. 755,699 wasgranted to me March 29, 190a, and of which this is a division.

My invention is extremely simple, and the primary object thereof is toobviate the defects existing in other devices designed for similarpurposes by making the present one light and yet durable and cheap tomanufacture.

A further object is to provide means whereby the supported tray can bereadily adjusted to diiferent inclinations without causing the patientdiscomfort or causing the detachment of the tray from the supportingmeans provided therefor on the bed-rails.

Further, the invention consists in so constructing the tray-supportingmeans that the same can be easily and quickly attached to beds ofvarying widths.

Further objects and ad vantages will be more fully set forth in thefollowing specification and those features upon which I base my claimfor protection specifically defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,in which like numerals of referenceindicate like parts throughout the several views, Figure l is a view intop plan of a bed provided with a tray which is supported in position bymy improvement. Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation thereof; and Fig. 3is a view in perspective of one of the tray-supporting devices, therebeing two employed.

1 indicates a bedstead, which is preferably of the well-known metaltype, and to the side rails thereof I provide suitable attachments, asA. I lay no claim to these attachments in the present application,but.onthe other hand, claim the supporting means, which are in the form ofbrackets, although it will be obvious that a support in the form ofsuitable'upright attachments will be required when my brackets areemployed as illustrated, and when thus used I prefer the attachments nowshown. I do not wish, however, to have it understood that my bracketscannot be placed in service in connection with other forms of supportingelements, as any device in which a rail or bar is employed, the samebeing disposed in an approximately horizontal plane, will suflice.

2 indicates the tray, which is provided adjacent its opposite side edgeswith apertures, through which pins, to be referred to in the following,are inserted.

3 indicates the body portion of the bracket, the same beingapproximately semicircular in cross-section and having its lower edgeout inwardly on an arc'of a circle, so as to snugly hug the curvedexterior of a rail, as illustrated in the drawings.

4 indicates a strengthening-piece secured to the inner face of the bodyportion and into which project the ends of the props or legs 5, wherebythe latter are enabled to swing, and thus bear different inclinationswith respect to the body portion 3. The lower ends of the props areprovided with a curved cross-bar 6, which engages the supporting-rail.

7 indicates asst-screw for holding the prop in its adjusted position.

Formed integral with the body portion at the inner edge thereof is astrap 8, and on this strap one end of the tray is placed. The pins 9 arethen inserted through their respective tray-openings and then throughthe openings 10 of the straps. Thus the tray is securely. held, and asthe pins are inserted from the tray side it will be obvious that thepatient or other occupant of the bed can readily manipulate the same.

I provide the strap with a number of openings which extend throughoutits length, whereby provision is made for the application of thebrackets to beds of different widths.

In the foregoing description I have described but one of the brackets,as they are both similarly constructed, and hence the single descriptionis sufficient.

While in the present description I have set forth a construction capableof carrying out the functions assigned to it, yet I do not desire to berestricted to the minor details, and

I therefore reserve the right to make such alterations and changes asfall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. In a device of the type set forth, a bracketcomprising a body portion, a supporting-leg pivotally attached thereto,and a laterally-projecting strap formed integral with said body portion,said strap being formed with a plurality of openings.

2. A bracket comprising a body portion having its lower end cut inwardlyon a curve, a leg pivoted to said body portion and being provided at itslower portion with a curved cross-bar, a set-screw carried by said leg,and a strap formed integral with said body portion at one of its edgesand being formed with a plurality of openings, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

said rails, said brackets each comprising abody portion and a legsecured thereto, said body portion and legboth having their lower endsformed to snugly embrace the rails, a tray, and means whereby said trayis supported on said brackets.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELISA E. ROBERTSON.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR B. LEFFLER, HAROLD GRAHAM.

